Death of Erma Bombeck

Erma Bombeck, the housewife humorist whose wry take on suburban life _ from cleaning toilets to getting the kids to take out the trash _ earned her a wall of fame of yellowing columns on refrigerators across America, died Monday after a kidney transplant. She was 69.

"Erma Bombeck taught those of us who write columns that the funniest things are the things that our readers know the best _ houses, cars, kitchens and of course kids," fellow humor columnist Dave Barry said.